Combined ventilating and illuminating apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for use in connection with a dining table in a restaurant on which food is cooked, heated, and the like, and eaten, the apparatus comprising a vertically extending retractable ventilating duct with a hood which extends over the table and which serves to suck up the hot gases and odors emanating from the table and to withdraw same from the room. The retractable ventilating duct telescopes into and out of a hidden section normally positioned above a false ceiling. The said hood also has illuminating means to illuminate the table area.

United States Patent 51 Apr. 4, 1972 Shimosawa [54] COMBINED VENTILATING AND ILLUMINATING APPARATUS [72] Inventor: Ron Shimosawa, Chicago, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Kiku Co., Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: June 2, 1970 [2]] Appl. No.: 42,799

{52] ..98/l l5 F23j1l/00 [58] Field of Search ..98/] 15 K; 126/300, 301

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 439,990 ll/l890 Allen 98H 15 K X 49$,l41 4/1893 Norton 4 ..98/ll5 KX 514.003 2/1894 Hornor et al ..98/1l5 K X Ritchie ..98/1l5 K X Jenson ..98/l l5 K I, l 78,l03 3,077,825

Primary Examiner-Edward J. Michael AtrorneyMax R. Kraus {57] ABSTRACT 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures EMERGENCY 5w 5? IMENTEDAPR 4 I972 SHEET 1 OF 3 lnvenfor RON SHIMOSAWA M //d% ATTY PATENTEUAFR 4 1972 sum 2 OF 3 FIG. 2

A M m5 m0 EM DH 8 N O R 'ATTY PATENTEDAFR 4|972 3.653.318

smu 3 OF 3 R N 78 9| 93 6 51 @L QTAZ r 1 GEARS g 55 LIMIT 2;

W D L EMERGENCY SW57 9O 64 POWER Inventor SOURCE 70 RON SHIMOSAWA 7% A WW ATTY COMBINED VENTILATING AND ILLUMINATING APPARATUS BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of this invention is to provide a ventilating means for a dining and cooking table in a restaurant which is provided with a vertically extending duct capable of being raised and lowered with respect to the cooking table so that it can operate to withdraw the cooking odors and the heat emanating from the table.

Another object of this invention is to provide ventilating means of the foregoing character combined with illuminating means which serves to ventilate as well as illuminate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a dining area, such as in a restaurant or the like, with the apparatus forming this invention and showing one of the ventilating ducts in a retracted position with the remaining ventilating ducts in fully extended or non-retracted position.

FIG. 2 is a view partly broken away.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of F 16v 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a schematic of the electrical circuit in connection with the hoisting unit.

As best seen in FIG. I, the apparatus generally indicated at is suspended from the ceiling and is used in a dining area, such as in a restaurant or the like, in combination with a table 12 on which food is both cooked and eaten. The details of the table 12 form the subject matter of another application. A plurality of such apparatus 10 in combination with tables 12 are employed in a single dining area. The apparatuses are connected by ducts to one or more exhaust fans which serves to v\ ithdraw the fumes, odors, heat and the like emanating from each of the tables and exhaust same exteriorly from the dining area. Each of the apparatuses 10 has a vertical duct and a hood, said duct being movable to either a retractable or extended position in relation to the table. Said apparatus in addition to its ventilating means has means for illuminating the table area.

The dining area generally indicated at 14 has a main ceiling l5 and a lower ceiling l6 spaced therefrom which is a false ceiling. Suitably anchored or secured to the main ceiling is a hoist unit generally indicated at 18 of conventional construction. The construction details of the hoist form no part of this invention. The hoist unit is enclosed within a housing generally indicated at 20 which is suitably secured to the main ceiling 15. A stationary duct 22 of octagonal cross-section is secured to the housing 20 and said stationary duct commu nicates with the interior of the housing through an opening in the housing into which the duct extends. The duct extends vertically downward from the housing. The duct 22 is positioned between the main ceiling l5 and the false ceiling 16.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, four of the spaced sides ofthe stationary duct 22 are provided with outwardly extending channels 24, in each of which is a guide roller 25 supported on a suitable bracket 26 secured inside the duct. These guide rollers 26 serve to support the inner movable duct section generally indicated at 28 which is supported in relation to the stationary duct 22 so that it is retractable to telescope into the interior of the stationary duct and is also extensible in relation thereto. The movable duct 28 is of octagonal shape in crossseclion but ofa lesser diameter than the outer stationary duct .2. as best seen in FIG. 3. When in normal operating use as a ventilating duct the movable duct 28 is in its lowered or extended osition, such as shown in FIG. 2 and in three of the apparatuses shown in FIG. 1, whereby it would be positioned in close proximity to the table and below the false ceiling 16. Secured to the lower end of the duct is a hood 30 of pyramidal shape having an octagonal shape in cross-section. A transverse bar or strap 32 is centrally secured inside said hood.

Secured to each of the stationary ducts 22 are short ducts 34 which connect to longer ducts 36 in turn are connected to an exhaust fan 37 through short ducts 38. The exhaust fan is suitably connected to ducts, not shown, which exhaust the fumes, odors and heat exteriorly ofthe room.

The hoisting unit 18 operates a hoisting chain 40 which extends through the interior of the stationary duct 22 and retractable duct 28 and is connected at its lower end to the hook 39 attached to the transverse member 32, which in turn is connected to the hood 30. As the hoisting chain 40 is lifted by the hoisting unit 18, the movable duct 28 will telescope into the stationary duct 22 to position the hood 30 closer to the false ceiling 16 and further removed from the table, as best shown in the retracted position of one of the apparatus in FIG. I, the guide rollers 25 guiding the retracting duct section 28. When the hoisting chain 40 is lowered by the hoist unit the reverse operation takes place and the movable duct 28 moves downwardly with relation to the stationary duct to assume the down or extended position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which position the hood is in close proximity to the table and in a position to suck up the heat, fumes and odors emanating from the tables 12 so that said heat, fumes and odors pass upwardly through the various connected ducts and exhaust fan and are exhausted exteriorly of the room.

Extending inside the ducts 22 and 28 is a coiled electrical conducting wire 42 which surrounds the hoisting chain 40 and which is suitably connected to a socket 43 which supports a light bulb 44 suitably supported in the hood 30 to provide illu mination for the table area.

Description and Operation of the Hoist Mechanism 18 The hoist mechanism 18 comprises, a two direction motor 50 for raising and lowering the duct 28 and hood 30, a brake mechanism 51 normally operative to hold stationary the hoist mechanism in any position; also a reduction gear unit 52 is provided for transmitting power to both the elevating chain 40 and for rotating the threaded shaft 53 of the limit switch 54 at their respective speeds. A direction switch 56 is provided operative to control the motor for raising and lowering the duct 28, and an emergency switch 57 is provided to immediately stop operation of the hoist mechanism 18 in any position.

It is noted that the directional switch 56 and the emergency switch is of the locking type whereby these switches remain in the last operated position until manually released.

To operate the motor 50, for example, to raise the duct 28 and hood 30, the "UP button 58 is operated to complete at the contacts 60, 61 and 62 circuits for energizing the motor 50 and the brake mechanism 51, including conductor 63 connected to one side of the power source, and contacts 64, conductor 65, run winding 66, conductor 67, contacts 62 and 68, conductor 69, to the other side of the power source 70. A branch circuit to energize the motor start winding 71 may be traced from the conductor 65 by way of contacts 60 and 73, the capacitor 74, start winding 71, contacts 61, 62 and 68, and the conductor 69 to the power source 70.

It is noted that the brake mechanism 51 is so constructed that the brake is normally applied to the hoist mechanism by the pressure of the spring 77, and is released only upon energization of the brake magnet 78 which is energized simultane ously with the motor 50. Thus, it will be seen that the magnet 78 is connected in multiple with the motor winding 66 by way of the conductors 65 and 63 and the winding 66, which upon operating causes retraction of the plate 80 from the plate 81 to thus release the brake and permit the motor 50 to drive the gear mechanism 52.

There is also provided a start cutout switch 82 which is arranged to interrupt the start winding 71 when the motor 50 reaches a predetermined speed, whereby the motor will operate with only the run winding 66 energized.

A limit switch 54 is provided to interrupt the motor operating circuit and the brake magnet circuit when the hoist mechanism has elevated the duct 28 to a predetermined height when the duct 28 is being raised and also to interrupt the motor operating circuit when the duct 28 has descended to a predetermined lowered position. The stopping of the duct 28 at the above mentioned positions places the hood 30 at the correct positions with regard to the cooking period and the raised position.

Assuming that the hood 30 is in its raised position and it is desired to lower it to a position near the table top, the down button 83 is pressed to close the contacts 84, 85 and 86 and thus a circuit is provigd for conducting a reversed polarity to the start winding 71 is completed. More particularly, a circuit may be traced from the power source 70 by way of conductor 63, switch 64, conductor 65, contacts 84, the right hand terminal ofthe start winding 71, capacitor 74. contacts 87, 85, 86 and 88, the conductor 69. to the opposite terminal of the power source 70.

It is also noted that the direction switch 56 is arranged to remain in its operated positions in either the Up or Down" position and the motor will raise or lower the hood to the predetermined raised or lowered position and will be stopped under control of the limit switch S4.

The limit switch 54 comprises, in brief. a threaded shaft 53, an up nut 89. and a *down" nut 90 which ride up and down upon the shaft 53 in response to the direction of rotation of said shaft When the nut 89 engages the contacts 68, the circuit is broken for operating the motor 50 and for energizing the brake 51 whereby the hoist is stopped and held in the desired up position Conversely, when the nut 90 rides do nwardly and engages the contacts 88, the operating circuit for the motor 50 and the brake 51 is interrupted and the hoist is stopped and held in the desired lowered position.

Operation of the motor 50 in either direction rotates the drum 9| by way of the shafts 92 and 93 and the gear unit 52, thereby raising or lowering the hood, as described.

There is also provided an emergency switch 57 which when actuated opens the circuits for the motor 50 and the brake 51, as previously described, to halt the movement of the hood immcdiately. The various buttons for operating the hoist unit are preferably positioned on the tables 12 where they are readily accessible.

What is claimed is:

I. An apparatus for use with a table on which food is cooked and also eaten, said apparatus comprising a vertically extend ing stationary duct a vertically extending retractable duct in telescopic relation with said stationary duct, an electrically operated hoisting unit including an electric motor positioned adjacent the upper end of said stationary duct. means connecting said retractable duct to the operation of said electric motor, said connecting means enclosed by said stationary and retractable ducts, saidelectric motor when operated operating said connecting means to retract said retractable duct with respect to said stationary duct and also being operated to extend said retractable duct below said stationary duct in close proximity to and over the table, means for locking said retractable duct in either retracted or extended position, and means cooperating with said ducts for withdrawing the heat, fumes and odors from said table and passing same through said ducts.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a hood is connected to said retractable duct.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim I in which the retractable duct is positioned within the stationary duct and retractable therewithin and in which roller means are positioned between said retractable duct and stationary duct for engagement with said retractable duct.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the stationary duct is positioned between a main ceiling and a false ceiling and said retractable duct when in extended position is positioned below said false ceiling.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the means connecting said retractable duct to the operation of the motor includes a flexible member, one end of which is connected to a drum operated by the motor with the other end ofthe flexible member connected to the retractable duct.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which a plurality of tables and a plurality of apparatus is contained within a room, with each apparatus operating with respect to a table.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the table has switch means for controlling the operation of the electric motor.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which includes brake means normally operative to hold the electrically operated hoisting unit in any stationary position to maintain the retractable duct in any stationary position between fully retracted and fully extended positions.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which operates to limit the movement of the retractable duct to fully retracted position and to fully extended position.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which an electrical conductor is contained within the ducts and is connected to an electric socket within the hood with an illuminating light bulb in said hood for illuminating the table. 

1. An apparatus for use with a table on which food is cooked and also eaten, said apparatus comprising a vertically extending stationary duct, a vertically extending retractable duct in telescopic relation with said stationary duct, an electrically operated hoisting unit including an electric motor positioned adjacent the upper end of said stationary duct, means connecting said retractable duct to the operation of said electric motor, said connecting means enclosed by said statIonary and retractable ducts, said electric motor when operated operating said connecting means to retract said retractable duct with respect to said stationary duct and also being operated to extend said retractable duct below said stationary duct in close proximity to and over the table, means for locking said retractable duct in either retracted or extended position, and means cooperating with said ducts for withdrawing the heat, fumes and odors from said table and passing same through said ducts.
 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a hood is connected to said retractable duct.
 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the retractable duct is positioned within the stationary duct and retractable therewithin and in which roller means are positioned between said retractable duct and stationary duct for engagement with said retractable duct.
 4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the stationary duct is positioned between a main ceiling and a false ceiling and said retractable duct when in extended position is positioned below said false ceiling.
 5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the means connecting said retractable duct to the operation of the motor includes a flexible member, one end of which is connected to a drum operated by the motor with the other end of the flexible member connected to the retractable duct.
 6. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which a plurality of tables and a plurality of apparatus is contained within a room, with each apparatus operating with respect to a table.
 7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the table has switch means for controlling the operation of the electric motor.
 8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which includes brake means normally operative to hold the electrically operated hoisting unit in any stationary position to maintain the retractable duct in any stationary position between fully retracted and fully extended positions.
 9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which operates to limit the movement of the retractable duct to fully retracted position and to fully extended position.
 10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which an electrical conductor is contained within the ducts and is connected to an electric socket within the hood with an illuminating light bulb in said hood for illuminating the table. 